Plaiting apparatus.



m m w A a M G e t n e t a R E 0 r...- A I PLMTING APPARATUS.

(Aiaplication filed. Dec. 11, 1889.)

(No Modem "III INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

/ ATTORNEYS,

oroum, WASNINUTDN. '04 c.

JOHN A. EDER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 669,743, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed December 11, 1899. $eria1No. 739,893. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. EDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accordion-Plaiting Machines or Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation of making accordion-plaiting for dresses, trimming, 850., to secure a more uniform and perfect plaiting, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved accordion-plai ting machine or device and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a plan of the improved ma-- chine or device. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken on line a Fig. 3 is asection taken on line y, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail face views of certain plaiting strips or plates between which the fabric to be plaited is folded.

In said drawings, a indicates a frame comprising end pieces a, which are made, preferably, of wood, and connecting-rods a a a a the inner of which serve as slides for certain plaiting strips or plates 17. I prefer to employ pairs of connecting-rods, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby I secure increased strength and rigidity in the frame. The inner connecting-rods a a are arranged parallel with one another and are preferably round in crosssection, and thereby are better adapted to serve as pivots for the pivotal plaiting-strips, as hereinafter described.

Between the end pieces a a is a sliding piece 0, also preferably of wood and normally disposed parallel with the end pieces a a.

Said sliding piece 0 in the preferred construction is arranged on both the inner and outer connecting-rods and is provided with fastening-heads d,preferably of iron, each fastened, by means of a screw 6 or other means, to the sliding piece 0. The said heads are provided with set-screws f, by means of which the said piece 0 may be fixed rigidly in the frame a, when the fabric to be plaited is folded in connection with the plaitingstrips, as hereinafter described.

Between the sliding piece 0 and one of the end pieces a are arranged the said plaiting strips or plates 6. These are preferably of thin sheet-steel having the forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Said plates are of two constructions which alternate, one set of plates (such as is shown in Fig. 4.) being simply perforated at opposite ends, as at b to receive the inner connectingrods a a and thus adapted to simply slide lengthwise of said connecting-rods o 01.4, and the plates alternating with said plates or strips b, as shown in Fig. 5, being perforated at one set of ends and at the opposite ends being provided with open recesses or sockets, as at Z), to permit the said strips to be drawn at their recessed ends away from the frame a and turned pivotally on one of the rods (1 to permit the introduction of the fabric, as will be hereinafter described.

Contiguous to the sockets 12 in which the rod 0. is adapted to lie, the said plates 1) are provided with short tongues b adapted to hold the plates at their free ends down upon the frame during the plaiting operations hereinafter described.

The plates being of resilient material and being flexible to some degree may be disconnected from the rod a at the free ends by being bent laterally preliminary to turning the plates pivotally on the rod of, the lateral movement of the flexible plate causing a withdrawal of the short holding-tongue b from the rod a so that the pivotal operation may be accomplished, as will be understood.

In operating the device to secure an accordion-plaiting of the fabric I detach the pivotal strips 11 b b at their free ends from the frame and turn the same backward, so that in the preferred construction the outer edges of said pivotal plates will lie against one of IOC the outer rods a the said rod in this case serving as a stay to hold the said pivotal plates in their open position. The sliding plate 0 is alsothrown backward from the front of the frame away from the plates 1) 17 so that the said plates are free to slide on the rods a a Beginning then with the first of the series of plates b b, I insert the goods between the front piece a and the first sliding plate 5 and immediately push, by means of the fingers, the said plate b up against the goods lying against the inner face of the said plate a. The fabric is then thrown backward to permit the first pivotal plate 11 to be turned downward, so that the goods are pressed downward by said pivotal plate forming the first plait.v In turning the said pivotal plate down upon the goods the free end is bent or turned backward a little, so that the tongue b may enter behind or below the rod Thus. when the said pivotal plate assumes or is caused to assume its parallel relation with the end pieces a the said pivotal plate will be held firmly down upon the frame. These operations are continued, the pivotal plates 17 forcing the goods between the sliding plates d, and as the plaits are formed the plates of both series being forced up into close parallel relation, with the goods between, all the plates sliding on the rods a a and goods being drawn from time to time, so that the plaits will be of a uniform width devoid of fullness at the edges. This is continued until the plaiting is finished, after which the sliding piece 0 is forced up against the collection of plates, with the goods between, and fastened by means of the setscrews f, thus holding the folded fabric in uniform plaits. After this the edges of the plaits exposed at the top and bottom of the device are pressed by means of irons or are otherwise subjected to heat or steam or aleee,743

lowed to stand until the fibers of the fabric have obtained a normal crease.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. The improved plaitingmachine, comprising a frame having rods a 0. each serving as a slideway and one serving also as a pivot and the other as a catch or stay, of slidable plaiting-plates arranged on said rods, one series of said plates being slidable on said rods and another series, the plates of which alternate with those of the first series being both slidable on said rods and pivoted on one of said rods and at the ends opposite the pivotal connection being each provided with a tongue to catch under the slideway-rod, and means for setting the plates in plaiting relation to the fabric, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the frame a, comprising parallel pieces a, a, and connectingrods a d of plates 6, b flexible in the horizontal plane of the frame and arranged vertically to the said horizontal plane, the said plates 1), b being arranged to slide on the connecting-rods a a and the alternating plates b being adapted to be detached from one of said rods and turn pivotally on the other said rod, the detachable ends being provided with rod-sockets and tongues to catch under the rod when the plates are bent horizontally to permit the passage of said tongue under said rod, and means for locking the plates in plaiting relation, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of December, 1899.

JOHN A. EDER.

Witnesses: I

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY. 

